Sexy, Fast, Loud and Powerful

Here in Italy the cars sporting the little prancing horse (cavallino rampante) are Ferrari.  And, they kick ass.   Don’t get me wrong, I love me some brute force American classics, but the elegance and innovation oozing out of everything Ferrari produces makes me wish they made a sexy grocery getter…in an affordable price range.  This idea should probably be shelved between “edible plates ” and “camping”.   Thanks to mass production, the grocery getter with the equine logo is the Mustang.

Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
While they no longer race Ferrari here, they can put on a great concert!

Two seat racer - I could use the other seat for groceries - no?

Ferrari only races Formula 1 now.

At the Museo Ferrari outside of Modena, Italy

Ferrari is manufactured in Emilia Romagna, the region of Italy we call home.  Maranello is nestled close to Modena in the Italian landscape and is famous for a factory, a company that never planned to be second best or, God forbid, ordinary.  They also didn’t plan to make street cars.  The company was founded on racing and only blessed the world with the California, 458 Italia, 599 GTB Fiorana, and the FF to pay the bills.  Something that started as nothing more than supplemental income is a gauge for status and power the world over. 

One of the oldest Ferrari street cars.

Dash - SA Aperta

Sure to be on the top of lots of Christmas lists this season, the SA Aperta.  This is the open topped version of the 599 GTO.  A street legal variation of the 599XX.  Mama!  This sexy beast is THE FASTEST road car Ferrari has EVER produced!  Ferrari is capable of producing way more than they do, but believes in protecting the exclusivity of their brand.  They should have no problem with this model.  With only 80 out there, I feel special just having gotten to be in the same room as one!

Perhaps James Bond himself drove this machine.

  

A Dino!  No freaking way!  Enzo Ferrari had a son, Dino.  After Dino’s death, and before I was born, Ferrari produced a line of lower end sports cars under this brand.   The marketing for these cars referred to them as, “Almost a Ferrari”!  Huh!  That’s got to show up in marketing books under “what not to say”. I’ve never seen one of these almost Ferrari before.  Power be damned, that is one sexy sports car!  This 1967 Dino 206GT looks a lot like present day Porsche 911.

 To me this is the iconic Ferrari.  The 458 Italia is perfection.

A collage of engines – purr.

The color of a Ferrari is about as iconic as the cutting edge styling.  Red is the national racing color of Italy!  Who knew?  Turns out all the Italian racing teams use it.  Germany is white.  France is blue.   Great Britain is green.

Mighty Eagle!

Driving down the autostrada, it is not at all unusual to be passed by a Porsche, Lamborghini, or Ferrari.  The latter two aren’t everyday experiences, but still not uncommon.  I would love to show you photos of this, but they are faster on the road than I am on my camera.   However, in the town of Maranello, they are like Fiats in the rest of Italy.  EVERYWHERE!  Here are some of the pictures I managed to get.

 

Some of these belong to companies that will let you drive them for ten minutes…for fifty Euros.  Honestly, I would have put up the cash and drove if it was here:

But it wasn’t, it was street driving.

Doing our best to capture photos of Ferrari in the wild, we spotted this Lamborghini.  Sort of hard not to – being all bright green and all.  Lamborghini came into its brand planning to compete with Ferrari.  They are also produced here in the region of Emilia-Romagna.  A pilgrimage may be in order!

 

Good bye Museo Ferrari!

 

Goodbye Maranello!